Related articles

It was found in some cases that an infant coffin was placed at the side of or on top of an unrelated adult coffin and both cremated together.

Many staff had the "extraordinary belief" there would be no recovered ashes from babies up to the age of 18 months despite scientific evidence to the contrary and the fact they were recovered in other crematoriums.

The report said: "Like Mortonhall, this was a section of the city council working in almost complete isolation without any strategic direction, development or quality control of the service, so far as it related to babies, infants and non-viable foetuses.

"There was little knowledge by senior management of the service provided to the families of these babies. There was insufficient interest taken or leadership shown by management."

HEMEDIA

Many staff believed there would be no recovered ashes from babies up to the age of 18 months

Dame Elish added: "The cremation of babies along with unknown adults is an unethical and abhorrent practice which will offend the sensibilities of the wider community and cause great distress to those whose babies were cremated there.

"It will also cause profound concern to the next of kin of unrelated adults who may have collected and continue to retain ashes of loved ones cremated at Aberdeen which also contain the ashes of a baby or one or even several non-viable foetuses.

"The understanding that there were no ashes or that they could not be recovered was not explained and is inexplicable."

GETTY

Recommendations included a law to prevent the mixing of baby ashes with those of other people

The investigation looked at 14 crematoriums, praising some, such as Cardross, for "the care applied" in retrieving baby ashes.

Fifteen recommendations were made including a law to prevent the mixing of baby ashes with those of another person.

The Scottish Government is working on the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Bill.

Public health minister Aileen Campbell said: "While I understand it may be little comfort for those who have been affected, much has changed in Scotland since these issues first came to light."